We’ve gotten into a rhythm of testing every Monday: an echocardiogram to check Sabrina’s heart function and a BNP blood test to measure the stress on her heart. Every Sunday night, I feel that familiar pit in my stomach, anxious about what the next day’s results will bring.

When Sabrina was first admitted to Children’s, her echocardiogram showed her heart was functioning at only 11%. For comparison, a healthy heart pumps at about 55–65%. That number — called the ejection fraction — was terrifying to hear. But over the next several weeks, there were glimmers of hope. The numbers climbed: 14%, then into the 20s, and at their highest, 28%. Each Monday carried both anxiety and hope that the improvement would continue.

Last week, the ejection fraction fell to 22%. Today it was 21% — which the doctors described as “unchanged.” It seems that Sabrina’s improvement may have plateaued. From here on, the plan is to repeat the echocardiogram every two weeks, watching closely to be sure her function stays stable while we wait for the gift of a donor heart.

I keep reminding myself that two things can be true at the same time: I can pray, hope, and wish with all my heart for a miracle — that Sabrina’s heart slowly begins mending itself. And at the same time, I can hope that our wait for a new heart is steady and uneventful until the call comes with the ultimate gift. 

Please keep thinking of us, keep praying, and keep hoping right alongside us — it truly means more than I can ever put into words. Writing these updates is its own kind of therapeutic torture; putting the reality on the page makes it all feel more concrete. But what carries us through is knowing that so many people care about Sabrina and are rooting for her. That support gives us strength, day after day.

#SabrinaStrong